Inner Conflict
by SweetNoNameNemo
Summary: A battle is ensuing in Sesshomaru's mind. Does he love her or not? Will he ever make up his mind? Rin believes herself to be unworthy of his love. Will she find herself to be wrong? One Shot. Complete.


He was there, standing tall and proud. His gracefulness surpassed by no other. Rin gazed lovingly at his persona, lowering her gaze when he turned his head to face her. She felt the blush emerging on her cheeks. _Please say he didn't see that.. _Rin pleaded.  
Sesshomaru turned his head back to where he had originally had it focused. The sky. If anything could hold his attention more than battle, it was the sky. He always seemed to be in a trance when they got to a cliff or a clearing. Rin wondered what he could be thinking.  
Rin was no longer that young girl that followed him around like a lost puppy. She was a young woman now. She had grown significantly. Sesshomaru was only a head taller than her now. Her beauty was a sight to behold, even in the eyes of demons.  
_If only I had been born a demoness... _She thought. That was a wish she could never see herself going back on. If she were a demoness than maybe, just maybe, he would see her the way she wanted him to. Since that was a dream that would never be realized, she would gladly take admiring him from a distance. She would rather die than to leave his side.  
She had realized long ago that her love for him would never die, however, she was human. Insignificant in the world of a demon.. The rush of pleasure that had come just moments ago just from watching him vanished at the thought. That lingering thought. She entertained a lie most of the time.  
It was so much easier than letting the truth sink in. Despite knowing that he held no feelings for her, not the feelings she wanted him to have anyway, she was still loyal to him as if she was his mate. She could almost let herself believe she was his mate. That is, until something inside her hit her with the harsh reality. The harsh reality felt worse than death, and she would know.

She sat underneath a tree that stood a short distance from Sesshomaru. Memories played in her head. When they met, when he brought her back to life after the wolves killed her, when he found a way to bring her back again after she died in the Underworld, and the many moments she admired him. She also remembered waiting for him when he would go to battle. He always came back for her, and that gave her hope.  
She remembered the song she used to sing while she waited for him to return. She made it up after the first couple times she was left alone to wait for him. Those days were probably the loneliest she ever had. At that time, she didn't understand the customs of demons. She wished she had never had to understand them.  
In her mind, she began to sing that song. The one that always made her remember he would return for her.

_In the mountains  
In the breeze_

In the forest  
In my dreams

Lord Sesshomaru where are you?  
Jaken is serving under you too!

I will wait for you  
On my own

Please return to me  
Waiting all alone.

As the last lines of her song echoed endlessly in her mind, she fell asleep. Her dreams were filled with his image.  
Sesshomaru looked to be gazing at the sky, but in reality, he was deep in thought. _I never expected this. Rin, what have you done to me? _Sesshomaru thought. In his mind, a war was raging. The side of him that craved power said that there was no way he could ever love or want this human girl. Another side of him, he wasn't sure what it was, said otherwise.  
He had felt Rin's eyes on him, and out of curiosity, turned to see what expression she held. For the most brief moment, he could have swore she was gazing at him with _love _in her eyes. That was impossible. She knew the customs of demons. She could not love him and he could not love her.  
_Why not? _His conscience asked. Of course he knew why! He had just went over it in his head. _Because demons and humans live in two different worlds. _He answered. _Demons and humans do not have to live in two different worlds. Why do you think your brother exists today? _His conscience reminded him.  
Inuyasha. A hanyou. The result of a demon and a human mating. Sesshomaru's father left his full demon mother for the human woman that bore Inuyasha. He never understood why his father would do something so beneath him.  
_What he did was not beneath him. It was love that drove that decision. It is love that lures you to that girl. _His conscience said. _Love is beneath this Sesshomaru. _He retorted. _Love is not beneath you, for it has already taken over your heart, and even at this moment is slowly taking over your soul. _His conscience whispered.

What was happening inside of him? This war in his mind was relentless. He couldn't get a moment of rest with these thoughts taunting him. Could the voice in his head be right? Is it really that simple?  
Of course it wasn't. It couldn't be. His title and pure blood stopped it from being so simple. If he was to be with Rin, the pure blooded family he had would forever be tainted with human blood. Although, it is already tainted with human blood thanks to his father.

He turned around to see Rin sound asleep. He had intended on walking some more, but decided to let her rest instead. She had been walking since sunrise. The sun was just beginning to set. He sat behind the tree Rin slept under and closed his eyes.  
Suddenly, something caught his attention. A demon was approaching. This demon seemed familiar to him though. Instinctively, he got in a protective stance in front of Rin. Not long after, the demon showed itself.

"It seems your pet still follows you, Sesshomaru." She said, tilting her head toward Rin. Rin was awake at this point, and was shocked to see the woman that brought her back from the Underworld. Sesshomaru's mother. Rin wasn't sure if she should be relieved or worried that she was here. She waited to find out.  
"What is it that you want, mother?" Sesshomaru asked with his usual neutrality. He was actually genuinely curious about what she was here for.  
"Do you love that girl?" She asked. For once, Sesshomaru was at a loss for words. Did he love Rin? Should he love her? Could he love her?  
"I see you are unable to answer me. I guess I will have to find out for myself then." She said with a wicked smile. She charged toward Rin with incredible speed. Before Sesshomaru could stop her, she had Rin in a head lock, her claws glowing green and dripping with poison mere inches from Rin's skin.  
"I will ask only once more. Do you love this girl?" She asked. Rin didn't even fight the choke hold she was trapped in, because she knew the answer. He didn't love her. He shouldn't love her. He couldn't love her.  
Before he realized it, the words came out. He wasn't sure what had come out of his mouth, but the look on his mother's face said it all.  
"You..." She whispered, letting Rin go. Her claws were no longer dripping with poison. Rin had heard the words too, but still wasn't sure if she had heard right. Rin ran back to Sesshomaru.  
"You _love_ this _human _girl?" She muttered. For only a moment, the meaning of what he said registered in his mind. He noticed something else as well. The war in his mind had ceased.  
Rin could barely stand once she returned to his side. For so long, she thought she was living a lie, when really the idea wasn't as far fetched as she thought. She stopped herself. Only part of it was true. None of this meant she would become his mate.  
"Yes, mother." He replied flatly. Although he wouldn't show it, his mind was going crazy. He had not only admitted to his mother and Rin his feelings, but also to himself. He was in love with the human girl. He was in love with _Rin_.  
"Are you really going to follow in your _father's _footsteps, Sesshomaru?" She asked in a playful, yet monotone voice. She was genuinely curious if he loved this girl enough to end the cycle of full blooded demon rule in the western lands for eternity.  
_Yes. Now that I have found my answer, I understand what led father to his choice. _Sesshomaru answered to himself. He responded to his mother simply by pulling Rin closer to him, his arm around her waist. Rin knew what this meant. She was unable to stop the smile that crept upon her face. Her wish was finally coming true.  
"I see." She said bitterly. _How selfish. _She thought. _I guess it was bound to happen though. _The stone cold look on her face softened only for a moment. _My son had to find love eventually, but who would have guessed it would be found in a human girl? _She mused. This battle was lost, and she knew it.  
"Very well. It seems that the long line of pure bloods has ended today." His mother proclaimed. Sesshomaru was puzzled. She was taking this too well. Why was she letting this go so easily?

"You are not going to fight me?" Sesshomaru asked. Rin tensed in his grip. Her Lord Sesshomaru was strong, but would he be able to defeat her?  
"I saw this coming long ago. I will not waste my time fighting what will happen even if I do fight you, my son." His mother answered. In any other circumstances, she would have fought him. However, she saw the look in his eyes he thought he was hiding so well. He would not hesitate to kill her if he had to for that girl. She knew when she was beat.  
Rin and Sesshomaru watched as she took the form of a large beast, though smaller than Sesshomaru's, and disappeared into the sky. Once she was long gone, there was silence. Sesshomaru stepped to where he was now directly in front of Rin.  
"Lord Sesshomaru-" She was interrupted.  
"There are no formalities between mates." Sesshomaru said, his voice low and soft like velvet. The sound sent shivers down her spine. _Mates? _She asked, pure happiness radiating through her.  
"But Sesshomaru, we are not mates." Rin pointed out. A slight ache flickered in her heart. He sensed the sorrow in those words she uttered, and leaned down where his lips just barely brushed over her ear.  
"Not yet." He said. His warm breath against her skin made her swoon internally. He wrapped his arms around her waist and gazed deep into her dark brown eyes. He leaned closer in, as did she. Their eyes slowly closed as their lips met.  
That night, they were mated. Now that she had his mark, her lifespan increased to that of a demon. She would no longer age and he would never have to worry about losing her again. They belonged to each other now. For eternity.

**The End**

_Wow. That took longer than I thought it would. I couldn't sleep and the idea for this story just came to me. It's now 4 AM, and I really need to get some sleep. I have school tomorrow! Good thing I'm home schooled! =D  
I hope you iked it. Please review. =) Message or leave in a review if you think I should make a story of how they cope with life in the western lands now that they are mated. Like how the people take it when they find out a human is their new lady and the hardships and such. If I get enough requests, I'll make it so this is the first chapter of a fan fiction and not just a one shot. _****


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